To marine safety



W. SCHNEIDER.

SHIP FLOATSNG APPARATUS.1

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2E|1916.

Patented Oct. 21, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THF. COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH C0., WASIUNG'AQN, 1.. c.

Wl SCHNEDER.`

SHIP FLOTING APPARATUS.

APPLxcATloN FILED AuG.2.191.

Patent-ed Oct. 21, 1919.

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2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I I 71,12@ n/or Schneider vLANoGRAm cd., wAsmNn'roN, npc.

Trui cmwvmm UNTTED sTaTns PATENT orrion.

'WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND lVIESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TG MARINE SAFETY APPLIANGE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SHIP-FLGATING APPARATUS.

Specification of` Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 21, 1919.

Application led August 28, 1916. Serial No. 117,253.

lTo all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, a citizen of Germany, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented Certain new and useful Improvements in Ship-Floating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ships and partieularly to the production of apparatus arranged and adapted to keep the ship to vwhich it is attached afloat when the ship has been injured and is in danger of sinking.

One object of my invention is to provide apparatus and apply it to the ship in such a manner that it will be able to float the ship, but will do so even though a very material portion of the apparatus may be disabled so as not to be serviceable or may become injured while in service.

A further object of my invention is to arrange the apparatus in such a manner that in case of any injury or derangement of one portion thereof, not `only will the other portions be in no Way affected, but there will be no waste and n0 expense of operation other than that due to the normal operation of the injured portion.

A further object is to provide apparatus that may be easily and quickly attached to the ship either Jfor permanent use, or in time of need, and may be readily detached when desired.

A further object `is to provide apparatus that occupies, even when operatively attached to the ship, but a relatively small space, and when detached may be stored away in any convenient place and will then occupy a space of comparatively no consequence. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description thereof.

Of the accompanying` drawings Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a ship with floating apparatus attached thereto which embodies'features of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the section illustrated by Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmental elevation, partly broken away, of the Heating apparatus. Fig. l is a plan view, partly broken away, of means which may be used for providing compressed air to the floating apparatus. Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of one of the compressed air valves shown in Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view along the lines 6 6 of Fig. 5.

The floating apparatus in general comprises a large number of air tight bags or compartments attached to the outer sides of the vessel, and extending down some distance toward or below the Water line; with means for protecting these bags from injury; means for filling the bags with compressed air when the vessel is to be floated, consisting of a large number of small compressed air tanks or compartments and conductors for conveying air from each oi these tanks to one of the bags; and means for quickly opening and closing valves in said conductors in order to'allow the air to enter the bags or to stop the fiow of air thereto or remove it therefrom.

Referring to Fig. 1, the hull 6 of the ship is divided into the ordinary compartments 7, and has the ordinary side walls 8. Fixed to the lower' portion of each side wall are a series of hooks 9 or other suitable fastening means and near the upper edge of the side walls is a corresponding series of hooks 10. There are in this particular instance as many upper hooks as there are lower hooks, and each upper hook is substantially vertically above a lower hook, although it is to be understood that the number, arrangement, and relative positions of the hooks in either series is immaterial. A flexible compressed air bag or compartment llris arranged to be attached to each pair of upper and lower hooks. These bags may be formed and arranged in any suitable manner and of any suitable material. I prefer in this instance to use air tight canvas as the material, and to form themin independent strips; that is a relatively small number of bags connected together in alstrip of bags, andas many strips as may be desired. I provide for the inner wall of all the bags in one strip a continuous sheet 12 of canvas or other suitable material to which the upper edges 13 and the lower edges 14 of the bags are connected. When n ot in use, but attached to the ship, the upper walls 15 and the outer walls 16 of the bags are folded up snugly against the inner walls 12. The inner wall sheet 12 extends upwardly and downwardly beyond the bags, as indicated, and has rings 17, or other suitable fastening means, attached thereto for the purpose of attaching the sheet to the respective hooks. Each bag is separated from the adjacent bags by con necting the adjacent edges 1.8 and 19 in 'an air tight manner to the common inner sheet 12.

,For the purposes of protection against Wear or other injury a common protecting sheet 20 is provided for all, the bags of` each strip. This sheet extends along 'one side from the front edge to the rear edge of theentire series of bags in the strip, and is attached to the loWerhooks 9 by means of apertures 2l formed in its loWer edge. Before the bags are inflated Withy air, when they are folded against the side of the vessel, as indicated, the protecting sheet 2O is pressed snugly against the bags, and its .up- .per edge is held in place by means of any suitable means Which are automatically releasable when the bags, are inflated. rlhe 4releasablemeans which I prefer comprise spring hooks 22, each fixed to a plate 23 having an opening 24 therein. Rings 25 attached to the upper edge of the sheet 20 are hooked on to the respective spring hooks 22asj indicated in Fig. 2. lVhenthe bags 11 are inflat-ed by compressed Vair in a manner hereinafter described, the expansion of the bags pressing the sheet outwardly pulls the rings 25 Off from the hooks 22, and releases the upper edge of the sheet 20, so that the bags may expand to the full capacity and produce the greatest buoyant effect. For a further protection the various sheets forming the Walls of the bags and the protectingl sheet may be thickened below the Water line as indicated in Fig. 2.

Any suitable means may be used for in flating the bags With compressed air. I prefer for ythe purpose batteries of compressed air tanks situated in any suitable .portion of the ship. In this instance I show one of the batteries 30-located on the upper deck. Each battery contains as many independent compartments or tanks 31 as may be desired, the total number of tanks in all of the batteries being substantially equal to the total number of airbags in use or Which may be attachedto the vessel. Leading from each of the tanks 31 to one ofthe air bagsris a suitable compressed air conductor. .I prefer the flexible conductors or tubes 32 Vdetachably connected to the pipes 33, each of the tubes 32 opening, in an air-tight inanner, into one of the bags 11, as indicated Vat 34 in Fig. 2; and a coupling 52 allows the tube 32 to be disconnected from the bag. The tube 32 .passes through an aperture 53 in the support ofthe hooklO, and is thus held in place. V

In each ,of the pipes 33 is a lvalve 35. For operating these valves suitable means are provided; I prefer the following means: Rotating valves are used,'and on the stem 36 of eachis fixed an arm 37l connectedto a bar38 :by means of a pivoted link v39, and the arm .37k isvv operated by ,meansfof an `electric. motor. 40., orby any :otherV suitable means.y Switches for operating the motors are located at suitable places in the ship, and vwhen started the motor, bymeans of gear Wheels 4l and the gear rack 42 forces the bar 38 in the direction to open the valves. Then the valves are open the end 43 of the rack will be beyond the gear Wheel 41 by which the rack is operated, and hence Will come to rest even though the Wheel continues rotating.V A spring 44C, however, will press the rack against the Wheel, and when the motor is reversed in direction, by the use of any suitable switch, the rack Will again engage the Wheel, and the bar 38 will be forced to the right closing the valves. II`he movement to the right Will continue until the Vend 45 of the rack is beyond the Wheel, Ywhen the arm 38 Will again come to restV even though the motor continues to rotate. Hence, by these means the valves may be quickly opened or closed fronr remote points, and there is no possibility of injury or of the valves being operated in a contrary manner even though the operat ing switch is left closed. In case it is dcsired, for any reason, to control the floiv to any or all of the bags independently of the `motor it is necessary only to operate by hand the valves 46 located in the by-passes 47, or the valves 4S in the main lines may be closed if need should arise By these means it Will be seen that if in case of injury ,to the vessel either actual or threatened, for instance when a War ship is about to enter into battle, or incase, for any other reason, it becomes desirable to float or assist in floating the vessel, if the bags are not inoperative position .they may be quickly attached to the sides of the vessel, and at the proper time the metor may be set in operation to/open the valves 35 and inflate the bags, and thus the desired buoyancy may be quickly and effectively obtained. As each baghas its oivn air tank and connecting conducto-rs no material danger arises if some of the bagsl or tanks, or even entire strips of bags or batteries of tanks, are'rendered inoperative; and in case of rupture of any porti-onof the'apparatus the wast-e of airV Will be confined to the kair intended for the particular portion of the apparatus injured. f Y

Any suitable means may be used for forcing air Vinto the. tanks, and ,any suitable pressurev therein may be maintainedbefore the air` valves are opened to inflate the bags, and when inflated the pressure may beincreased if desired by any suitable air compressing means, such as the air compressor 50. y

Vhen the need of buoyancy is over the valves 5l in the, supply pipes leading'from the compressorsy to the tanks, may be opened, valves 35 remaining open, and the air compressors being, reversed, thei air will he forced out of the bags by the external air pressure thereon; and the bags will fold up into their normal flattened condition; valves 35 may then be closed, and the tanks again filled with compressed air by again reversing the compressors. The strips of bags may then be detached if desired and necessary repairs may be made, and the apparatus be again stored where desired; or the protecting sheet 2O may be reattached by its upper edge and the apparatus left in operative position on the sides of the vessel.

In order to facilitate folding the bags the upper edge of the sheet 20 may be fastened to the bags at the point 54, and the bags will fold up properly when the sheet 20 is hooked in place.

I claim as my invention:

1. Ship floating apparatus comprising a plurality of strips of independent bags; means for attaching said strips to the sides of the ship; a plurality of batteries of independent compressed air tanks; conductors for connecting each of said tanks with one of said bags; a valve in each of said conductors; and means for operating simultaneously all of the valves in any of the batteries.

2. Ship fioating apparatus comprising a plurality of independent systems, each system comprising an air-tight bag, compressed air storage means, a conductor connecting said means with said bag, a valve in said conductor, and means for attaching said bag to a ship, said means comprising a ring fixed to each end of said bag, and two hooks fixed in the side of said vessel, adjacent the water line thereof, one of said hooks being positioned above and spaced a material distance from the other hook.

3.A ship floating apparatus comprising a strip of air tight bags, one side of said strip of bags being composed of a continuous sheet of material, means for fastening the upper and the lower edge of said sheet to the ship, the remaining sides of each of said bags being formed of a sheet of material fixed to` said continuous sheet, and a protecting sheet, means for fastening the lower edge of said protecting sheet below said bags, and releasable means for attaching the upper edge of said protecting sheet to said ship above said bags, and means for filling said bags with compressed air. A

l. A ship floating apparatus comprising a strip of air-tight bags, one side of said strip being composed of a continuous sheet of niaterial, means for fastening the upper and lower edge of said sheet to said ship, the remaining sides of each of said bags being formed of a sheet of material fixed to said continuous sheet, and a protecting sheet, means for fastening the lower edge of said protecting sheet below said bags, the lower portions of said continuous sheet and said protecting sheet being thicker than the upper portions thereof, and pressure releasable means for attaching the upper edge of said protecting sheet to said ship above said bags, and means for filling said bags with compressed air.

5. In a ship protecting apparatus a bag, means for attaching a portion of said bag to the side of a ship, further means for attaching a portion of said bag to said ship a inaterial distance above said first mentioned means, moans for protecting said bag eX- tending from adjacent one of said attaching means to adjacent the other attaching means, and pressure releasable means for connectin' said protecting means to said ship adjacent the upper attaching means.

6. In a ship protecting apparatus a bag, and protecting apparatus for said bag, detachable means for attaching said bag and said apparatus in tivo fixed places on the outer side of the ship, said two places being a material distance apart in a substantially vertical line.

7. In a ship protecting apparatus a bag, means fixed to said bag for attaching the bag to the side of a ship, other means fixed to said bag for attaching said bag to the ship, said two means being spaced a material distance apart on one wall of said bag, and protecting means fixed to said bag adj acent one of said attaching means.

8. rIhe combination of a ship, a bag, said bag being attached to the side of said ship in horizontal planes a material distance apart; the inner wall of said bag between said planes being substantially the same vertical width as the distance between the planes, and the outer wall of said bags being materially wider vertically than the distance between said planes; and means for passing compressed air into said bag.

9. The combination of a ship, a bag, said bag being attached to the side of said ship. in horizontal planes a material distance apart;

the inner wall of said bag between said planes being substantially the same vertical width as the distance between the planes, and the outer wall of said bags being materially wider vertically than the distance between said planes; means for passing compressed air into said bag, and protecting means fixed to said ship adjacent said lower plane and fiXed to said bag adjacent the up- .per portion thereof.

l0. The combination of a ship, a bag, said bag being attached to the side of said ship in horizontal planes a material distance apart; the inner wall of said bag between said planes being substantially the same vertical Width as the distance between the planes, and the outer wall of said bag being materially wider than the distance between said planes; means for passing compressed air into said bag, protecting means fixed to lul said ship adjacent said lower plane and iixed to said bag adj acent the upper portion thereof, and means for attaching said protecting means tov said ship adjacent the upper portion of said bag.

11. The combination of a ship, a bag, said bag being attached to the side of said ship in horizontal planes a material distance apart, the inner wall of said bag between said planes being substantially the same vertical width as the distance between the planes, and the outer wall of said bag being materially wider than the distance between said planes; means for passing compressed air into said bag, protecting means fixed to said ship adjacent said lower plane and fixed to said bag adjacent the upper portion thereof, and means for attaching said protecting means to said ship adjacent the upper por` tion of said bag, said latter means being releasable by pressure on the inner side of said protecting means.

V12. In a ship floating system a strip of bags, one side of all of said bags being composed of a continuous sheet, and means for fastening the upper and the lower edge of said sheet to said ship, the remaining side of each of said bags being formed of a sheetvof material fixed to said continuous sheet.

13. In a ship floating system a strip of bags, one side of all of said bags being composed of a continuous sheet, and means for fastening the upper and the lower edge of said sheet to said ship, the remaining side of each of said bags being formed of a. sheet of material fixed to said continuous sheet, a protecting sheet, and means for fastening lthe upper and lower edge of said protecting of each of said bags being formed of a sheet I of material fixed to said continuous sheet, a protecting sheet, and means for fastening the upper and lower edge ofv said protecting sheetadjacent, respectively, the upper and lower edge of said strip of bags, the lower portions of said continuous sheet and of said protecting sheets being thicker than the upper portions.

15. In a ship floating system a strip of ugs, one sideV of all of said bags being composed of a continuous sheet, and means for fastening the upper and the lower edge of said sheet to said ship, the remaining side of each of said bags being formed of a sheet of material iiXed to said continuous sheet, a protecting sheet, means for attaching one edge of said protecting sheet adjacent the lower edge of said continuous sheet, and pressure releasable means for attaching the upper edge of said protecting sheet adjacent the upper edge of said sheet,` and means for passing compressed air into said bags.

16. In a ship floating system a bag adapted to be attached tothe side-of a vship and means for forcing air into said bag, said means comprising a source of compressed air, a conductorconnecting said source with said bag, a valve in said conductor and means for operating said valve, said operating means comprising a motor and a slidably mounted gear rack, gear wheels operatively connecting said motor with said rack, and a spring tending to return said rack to a certain position with reference to said gear wheels.

17. In a ship floating apparatus a bag adapted to be fixed to the side of a ship, means for passing gas into said bag, means for increasing or decreasing the gas pressure in said bag, said latter means comprising reversible driving means operatively connected with gas pressure varying means; and said gaspassing means comprising driving means operatively connected with-gas flow controlling means in gas conducting means.

18. In a ship floating apparatus a vbag adapted to be attached tothe side of aship, means for passing gas into said bag, and means for controllingV the supply of gas passing into saidbag, said latter means comprising reversible driving means and means for limiting the action of said driving means on said controlling means without limiting the operation of the driving means. In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER.

Copiel of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.` 

